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S: Stacey and Eli

BC: Thank you for reading our profile and considering our family!

FC: Stacey & Eli

1: Hi and thanks for reading our letter! Although we don't know you yet, we understand that you are considering adoption out of the greatest love for your child. We hope to make this difficult decision easier for you by showing you who we are, and how we will honor you in our family. We also hope that reading this book will give you a sense of peace. We assure you that we are ready-and eager-to be parents to your baby. Getting to Know Us...Here are just a few things to tell you more about who we are, and what your baby's life will be like as a cherished member of our family. Our names are Stacey and Eli, and we're a loving, happily married couple. We have a marriage built on respect, trust, and love. We were introduced over 10 years ago by Eli's sister and instantly became friends. That friendship grew as we discovered how much we had in common. We started dating in the summer of 2001 and have been together ever since! Our family has been touched by adoption. Stacey's dad was adopted by his stepfather at a young age. We have a good friend who made an adoption plan when she was younger. She has a wonderful relationship with her daughter and her daughter's parents. And Stacey's very dear friend and college roommate adopted her son a few years ago. | We love kids! Having a family has always been one of our dreams, and our desire to have children has only grown recently as we've spent time with our adorable three young nieces and baby nephew. Although infertility has presented us with a roadblock to starting our own family, we have always considered adoption to be a wonderful option. We now know that adoption is the plan for us and we cannot wait to find the right match. | We sincerely respect you and want to make adoption a positive experience for you and your baby. We would love to meet with you and, depending on your wishes, we are open to keeping in touch over the years. Without question, we will raise your child knowing how much love and consideration you had for him or her in making this adoption plan. Thank you for reading our profile, and for having the courage and strength to consider adoption for your child. We hope to have the opportunity to talk with you and explore whether we would be a good match. With love, | We are both employed in secure jobs that match our values. Eli teaches elementary school and Stacey is a grantwriter/fundraiser at a non-profit organization that helps people in need. | We are surrounded by supportive and caring family and friends. Eli's parents live just five minutes away and, although Stacey's family is out-of-state, we are very close and see each other often. There are 4 grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins who cannot wait to have a new baby into the family! | We are committed to family and want to pass those values on to our children. We both come from strong families where we were taught the importance of honesty, loyalty, integrity, compassion and respect. We believe in working hard, prioritizing education, and pursuing social justice. We intend to instill these values in our children, rooted in the Christian faith. | We have the resources to welcome a child into our life. We are financially secure and own our own condo-with an extra bedroom that we are busy preparing for a little one.

2: Our Relationship | Us at Disneyland, on our second date, | We met in the fall of 2000 through Eli's sister, who was a close friend of Stacey's in graduate school. As soon as she 'introduced' us, we instantly bonded over our shared love of music. That bond grew as we discovered how much we had in common, especially our values, our sense of humor, and our outlook on family and life. | Us in San Diego, on the first weekend we met. | What Stacey says about Eli: I fell in love with Eli's kind, sweet spirit, his gentleness, and his sense of humor and playfulness. He makes me laugh every single day. And he makes me feel loved every day too. He is such an incredible, loyal and caring husband, and he will truly be the most amazing father! I know everyone says that, but I've seen how attentive and loving he is with his nieces, taking them to the park, reading them goodnight stories, and spending hours with them just playing and laughing. Eli was born to be a dad! | What Eli says about Stacey: My relationship with Stacey was first built on a strong friendship. We got along so well that I always looked forward to getting her e-mails! That friendship grew into an ideal relationship. I love Stacey because of her genuine concern for those close to her, her honesty, and her caring personality. She is a very selfless person, and she makes my life complete. She is going to be an excellent mom and together, we are going to raise a wonderful child!

3: Our wedding | We got married in 2007, on a beautiful summer day in Santa Fe, NM. We wanted an outdoor wedding that captured the beauty of the New Mexico scenery. | We wanted our wedding to reflect our fun & playful side, since that is a big part of who we are. During the reception, everyone gathered to break open a pinata. It was a blast! | Having all of our family and friends surround us to celebrate our relationship was a feeling we will never forget! It was truly the happiest day of our lives so far.

4: OUR FAMILY | We are so blessed to have wonderful families. We are all very close! | Stacey with her brother and sister. | Eli's parents live five minutes away from us, so we see them all the time. | Although Stacey's parents live in New Jersey, we visit each other several times a year. This picture was taken when they came out to New Mexico. | Eli and his sister.

5: We absolutely adore our nieces and nephew and spend as much time with them as possible! | ! | Being Aunt Stacey and Uncle Eli is one of our greatest joys! | We especially love doing fun projects with our 4 year-old niece! | 3 NIECES & A NEPHEW

6: Our Hobbies and Interests | We spend most of our free time together, and we especially enjoy outdoor activities when the weather is warm. New Mexico offers lots of beautiful spots to hike and enjoy the desert landscape. | Hiking at Tent Rocks, New Mexico. | Swim parties are common at Eli's parents' house in the summer. Here, Eli is swimming with our niece in Grandma & Grandpa's pool. | We love visiting the aquarium and the zoo. | Outside of Acoma, New Mexico

7: Music is one of our passions. We love to attend concerts and Eli plays many instruments. We will make music a big part of your child's life. | Stacey: My other hobbies are baking, watching college basketball and reading. I read a new novel every couple of weeks. But my favorite hobby is scrapbooking! I am always working on my latest album, filling it with photos and momentos. | Eli playing music with our niece. | We have fun playing board games with family and friends. | Eli: I love to surf when we go on beach vacations. I also enjoy bowling, hiking, reading, exercising, and playing trivia games.

8: About Stacey | My baby sister was 6 years younger and I always considered myself her second mom. I loved feeding her, giving her baths and even changing her diapers! | I grew up as the oldest of three children, in a loving home in suburban New Jersey. My parents taught us the importance of honesty, hard work, family and faith--all values I will pass on to my children. Some of my favorite childhood memories are playing outdoors with kids from my neighborhood, taking family vacations, and celebrating special holidays. | Leaving cookies for Santa at Christmas! | I went to college at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and will always be an enthusiastic Demon Deacon fan! Go Deacs! |

9: With an undergraduate and graduate degree in Political Science, I always knew I wanted to do work that made a difference in people's lives. I am so honored to have found a career that makes use of my skills, while helping to make the world a better place! I am a grantwriter/fundraiser for a non-profit organization that helps people in need. | Spending time with my family and friends is one of the most important things to me. Although my family live in different states, I make it a priority to visit with them regularly. I also remain in close touch with my friends from college, and we have girls reunion trips often. | Spending time with my sis and mom. | Visiting my girlfriends in Chicago. | I cannot wait to be a mom! Your baby will be loved and nurtured unconditionally. | Holding my newborn niece. | Religion is also very important to me. I regularly attend worship services at a Christian church.

10: About Eli | I was born and raised in New Mexico. My parents gave us such a happy childhood! They taught us the importance of family and love. I adored my sister; we were each other's best friend growing up. | Family is very important to me, since I grew up surrounded by a large extended family. My mom's side is Italian and my father's side is Hispanic. When I was younger, our extended family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, would meet for family dinners every weekend at my grandparents' house. We still gather for dinners to celebrate every holiday, even New Year's Day! | Friends from the start- me and my sister as kids | Me and my grandma on New Year's Day | My parents are still such an important part of our lives. Since they live so close, we see them frequently for birthdays and other celebrations. And, I have to admit, my dad is always ready to run over and help with household projects when I need him. They are wonderful parents!

11: My whole life, I have been told how calm and patient I am. After graduating from UNM with a degree in Economics, I decided to return to school to become an elementary school teacher. I enjoy the energy and fun attitudes of my students. It was important for me to do something that would have a lasting impact on others. I love teaching and knowing that I'm helping the next generation. Teaching also affords me a very flexible schedule, and I look forward to having summers and school breaks off to spend with our children. | I've always looked forward to being a father. I have many cousins who were much younger than my sister and I. As teenagers, we used to babysit and play with them at my grandparents' house. | My closest friends are people I have known since middle or high school. Here we are at my wedding. | Now, I have so much fun being Uncle Eli to my 3 nieces and baby nephew. I love seeing how my twin 2 year-old nieces and their 4 year-old sister get bigger and smarter each time we visit. We play games, read, and do fun art projects together. | With my 3-year-old niece | With my twin 2 year-old nieces

13: We have a passion for traveling and seeing new places. We also have friends and family all over the U.S. and visit them frequently. | Sometimes we don't have to travel all that far to see exciting sights. Here we are at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. | In Chicago, IL | Us at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV | Disney holds a special place in our hearts. | We spent our honeymoon near Cancun, Mexico. The highlight was seeing the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

14: Grandparents | With all the practice they've had recently, they are definitely ready to help us with childcare. Even Eli's dad is an expert diaper changer! | Eli's parents are amazing grandparents to their three grandkids. They can't wait to have a new baby right around the corner! | Stacey's parents recently became grandparents for the first time, when her sister had her first baby. Stacey's mom just melts over babies. She is currently finishing a long career as a school nurse, but for many years she worked in the obstetrics and nursery department of a hospital. It sure will be nice having a nurse and baby-expert around to answer our questions! | Eli's mom with her grandbabies. | Eli's dad holding his granddaughter. | Stacey's dad, with his newborn grandson. | Stacey's mom is the baby & kid expert. | Stacey's parents are doting grandparents!

15: Eli has a large extended family living in New Mexico. Most holidays and special events involve some sort of family gathering. | Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. | Eli and his second cousin. | It takes a little more work to get all of Stacey's family together, but when we do, we always have so much fun. | Eli's extended family.

16: We enjoy celebrating all the different holidays! | Dying Easter eggs | Dressing up for Halloween | Often, all of Stacey's family members fly in from different parts of the country to spend Christmas together in New Jersey. | Santa hats are so much fun!

17: We place a high priority on education and believe it helps lead to success in life. | Ready to educate the next generation: Eli graduates with his teaching degree. | Eli in his classroom. The school where he teaches is just 5 minutes away, and Eli looks forward to one day having his children enrolled there. They'll head off to school together every day! | Stacey reading to her niece. | These are just a few of the many books we have already bought for our future baby.

18: Our Home | The school where Eli teaches-which is one of the best in the city-is only a few minutes away. Eli's parents live very close to us as well. | On the 4th of July, we make the short walk to the hills behind our house. From there, we can watch fireworks exploding all over the city! | One of the things we love most about where we live is the view. We took this picture of the gorgeous New Mexico sunset from our patio in the summer. | We own a condo in a quiet and safe neighborhood, near walking trails and parks. Our house has an extra bedroom that we are currently making into the baby's room. | We strive to make our home cozy, comfortable and inviting. | Enjoying the walking trails near our house.

19: We are counting the days until we can welcome a new baby into our home and lives! We are both planning to take the first few weeks off to spend with him or her. Then, Stacey will adjust her schedule to work part-time for at least the first year. Eli's mom, who is retiring soon, has already offered to help us with childcare while we are working. | "You and Eli are going to be such wonderful parents. I can't describe what an amazing aunt and uncle you are." --written by Eli's sister, when we told her we were pursuing adoption | "When I was young, I got pregnant and gave my daughter to a family for adoption. It was a big decision, but was made easier knowing she was in a loving family. Having been friends with Stacey and Eli for many years, I trust that they will give your precious gift everything you could hope for and will honor you for making their family complete." --From a friend of ours who has a successful open adoption. | We believe that adoption is a special gift, and we intend to raise your child with a full understanding about his or her adoption story. He or she will always know how much love and concern you showed in making this adoption plan. We would like to discuss staying in touch over the years, if that is something you feel comfortable with. | Us with our nephew | In Conclusion... | We can't wait to share all our love, joy and support with a child. We'd welcome the chance to meet with you, to see if ours is the right family for your baby. Whatever you decide, we wish you all the best on your journey!